star trek the next generation firstborn cast

Firstborn (episode)

• View history
• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 1.6 Act Five
• 1.7 Log entries
• 2 Memorable quotes
• 3.1 Production history
• 3.2 Story and script
• 3.3 Cast and characters
• 3.4 Production
• 3.5 Sets and props
• 3.6 Continuity
• 3.7 Reception
• 3.8 Apocrypha
• 3.10 Video and DVD releases
• 4.1 Starring
• 4.2 Also starring
• 4.3 Guest stars
• 4.4 Co-stars
• 4.5 Uncredited co-stars
• 4.6 Stunt doubles
• 4.7 Stand-ins
• 4.8.1 Library computer references
• 4.9 External links

Summary [ ]

" Sorry. I didn't mean to hit you! "

In his quarters , Worf rehearses, a little nervously, how he will explain to his son Alexander what it means to be a true Klingon warrior. Alexander dashes in, pursued by his friend Eric with a fullerene water balloon. He misses Alexander and instead hits Worf, who is not amused. However, he continues with his explanation.

He tells Alexander that there are actually two Rite of Ascension ceremonies; Alexander won't be required to pass through the second rite (the one with painstiks ) until he is older, but is old enough for the first rite now. His fighting skills and his knowledge of the teachings of Kahless will be tested, and Worf promises to help him with this. The first step is lighting a kor'tova candle and declaring one's intention to be a Klingon warrior.

Alexander doesn't want to do it, reminding Worf that his mother K'Ehleyr told him he didn't have to do any "Klingon stuff" he didn't want to. Worf agrees that it must be Alexander's choice, and Alexander runs out of the room, declaring that he has no intention of becoming a warrior.

Act One [ ]

The USS Enterprise -D is supposed to rendezvous with another ship, the Kearsarge , but it won't arrive for another four days, so the senior staff plan extra activities. Captain Picard wants to visit the Hatarian system where there's an archaeological dig, and Data suggests stellar dynamics can have more access to the lateral sensor grid to examine the Vodrey Nebula . Picard notices that Worf looks distracted during the briefing, and Worf explains afterwards about the problems he is having with Alexander. Picard suggests that the Enterprise detour to the Klingon outpost on Maranga IV where they'll be celebrating Kot'baval and Alexander can immerse himself in Klingon culture and folklore; this will also give Stellar Dynamics a chance to see the entire nebula, as the outpost lies on the other side of it.

On Maranga, the festival is in full swing; there is almost a county fair atmosphere, what with the vendors and the banners and the colorful re-enactments of Klingon history. Worf and Alexander watch one such drama, in which the story of how Kahless defeated the traitor Molor is shown. The actor playing Molor issues repeated challenges to bat'leth duels, and audience members are invited to participate. Alexander is caught up in the excitement and accepts a challenge. The actor takes a fall to let Alexander win.

After spending a full day at the festival and even making some friends among the Klingon children at the outpost, Alexander meets up with Worf, who is waiting for him. Alexander explains that he needs 50 darseks to see the mummified head of Molor but Worf believes the man who is offering this is simply trying to take his money. Worf tells his son it is time to go and promises they will return tomorrow. They are about to return to the Enterprise when a trio of armed Klingon warriors appear from the shadows, cornering them.

Act Two [ ]

Before the fight starts, an older Klingon man comes out of the shadows of an alley and fires a disruptor at one of the assailants. Worf takes on the other two, shouting to Alexander to run. The older Klingon helps to defeat them, and they run away. Worf recognizes the man as K'mtar , gin'tak or adviser to the House of Mogh .

" One of the attackers dropped this dagger. The design represents the House of Duras. "

They beam aboard the Enterprise where Commander Riker wants to question them, unhappy with K'mtar's reluctance to answer. K'mtar shows the dagger dropped by one of the assailants. It bears the insignia of the rival House of Duras , indicating that Lursa and B'Etor are behind the attack. They have not been heard from since they tried to sell bilitrium explosives to a Bajoran terrorist on Deep Space 9 . They are after the seat on the Klingon High Council now held by Worf's brother Kurn , who has sent K'mtar to protect Worf and his child and put a stop to the sisters' treachery. Riker says the next step will be to track down the sisters. Riker offers to help find them and gives K'mtar quarters on the ship.

Worf and K'mtar leave to his quarters. K'mtar relates Kurn's concern about Alexander, as he has no male heir and so Alexander may have to lead the House of Mogh someday. Kurn believes in Worf's ability to teach him, but it can't be easy being the only two Klingons on a starship full of Humans . He inquires how Alexander is doing as far as his Klingon warrior skills, and Worf says he is not as good as he should be, because he doesn't take time to practice as all Klingon youths do. K'mtar promises to help, and Worf accepts. Very gently (for a Klingon), he approaches Alexander's bedside and speaks in warm, understanding tones, telling him that learning warrior's skills will help Alexander to feel that not only he, but his father, are safe from harm. Worf, around the corner, is a little uneasy that there is another voice influencing Alexander, but he does trust him.

Act Three [ ]

" So long, Quark. "

The next day, on the bridge , Riker has Worf contact Deep Space 9 while Data searches records for the Duras sisters. Data does not find any more information, and so Riker turns to DS9. He bribes information out of the station's bartender Quark as to what the Duras sisters are doing and where they are. To get the information out of Quark, Riker offers to return his vouchers he received when he won playing dabo while at Deep Space 9 instead of latinum , which Quark did not have enough of to cover his winnings of twelve bars. Quark then explains he heard a rumor that Lursa and B'Etor were trying to buy some secondhand mining equipment to dig up a magnesite deposit (which actually belongs to the Pakleds ) in the Kalla system . Riker promises to send the vouchers back to Quark, but he had them voided while they were speaking.

While the Enterprise travels to the Kalla system, K'mtar comes up with a holodeck simulation different from what Alexander is used to. Instead of just going through the exercises, he proposes a re-enactment of what happened on Maranga. As Alexander goes up against one of the attackers, K'mtar freezes the program at various points to illustrate how Alexander can take advantage of his opponent. Alexander knocks the attacker to the ground but won't kill him. When K'mtar angrily insists, Alexander gets disgusted and runs away.

When the Enterprise arrives at Kalla III and beams down an away team, they find a lone Dopterian , Gorta . In exchange for passage off planet, he tells them that the sisters have already left, taking everything of value with them (and stranding him). The plan had been to sell the magnesite ore to a Yridian trader in the Ufandi system .

In Ten Forward , K'mtar meets up with Worf. He apologizes for his anger earlier and suggests that Alexander be sent to a Klingon school on Ogat . Worf dislikes the idea because Alexander is at home on the Enterprise , but K'mtar says it is almost impossible to learn true Klingon ways under these conditions. He again gets heated and says he might have to invoke the ya'nora kor , a law which can remove a child from unfit parental custody. Outraged, Worf asks if he questions his fitness as a parent. K'mtar says that for the good of their House, yes, he is indeed. He only wants what is best for the boy. However, K'mtar is growing increasingly angry and frustrated with Alexander, who questions traditional Klingon stories and disagrees that it is so vitally important that he become a warrior.

Act Four [ ]

K'mtar sits Alexander down to try to teach him the Klingon ways, telling him more of Kahless and Morath . Alexander listens, but cuts him off, saying he already knows the story. K'mtar says it's important to tell it even if it's known, but Alexander starts questioning each statement like an inquisitive Human would. K'mtar is increasingly frustrated, saying those details don't matter, but rather the Klingon warrior interpretation. He then tells Alexander about the school, but he says he doesn't want to leave the Enterprise . He realizes K'mtar is just like his father, only caring about being a warrior, and leaves.

Meanwhile, Riker has tracked down the ore taken by the sisters to the Yridian trader Yog , and buys it from him for half a gram of Anjoran bio-mimetic gel . Instead of beaming it to the Enterprise , though, Riker blows up the ore in space with the ship's phasers , and discovers a cloaked Bird-of-Prey ship nearby. He has found the sisters, and soon brings them aboard. Telling them he knows the ore was stolen, he confronts them with the assassination attempt on Worf and shows them the dagger. They claim to know nothing about it, and Riker asks K'mtar about his other evidence which he claims to be on the homeworld. Riker prepares to set a course and K'mtar leaves to contact Kurn. However, after he leaves, B'Etor notices something on the dagger which clearly shocks her and Lursa, upon seeing it, claims that what's she's seeing is impossible. Riker asks what's going on, and B'Etor tells him the crest on the dagger has symbols representing the various members of the family… including Lursa's son. Lursa says she doesn't have a son, but she is expecting a child and only found out a few days previously and told no-one but B'Etor who furiously demands to know where the dagger came from. Based of their reactions and the evidence, it's now clear that the sisters weren't responsible for the assassination attempt, and the officers are left astounded by this mysterious turn of events. Worf decides to go and speak with K'mtar about the origin of the dagger.

Worf immediately goes to ask K'mtar about this, but discovers him apparently preparing to kill Alexander with his disruptor. After a brief struggle, he throws K'mtar to the ground and prepares to strangle him. But K'mtar cries out, calling him father and that he is actually Alexander himself.

Act Five [ ]

Worf demands proof and asks him what his mother's last words were. K'mtar tells him of how he witnessed the death of K'Ehleyr, and that all she said was his name, and she put his hand in Worf's. " And then you howled in rage, and said 'Look at her. Look upon death, and always remember.' And I always have. " He reluctantly lets him go and picks up the disruptor. Alexander explains that he has come back from forty years in the future, with the assistance of a man that he met in the Cambra system . Alexander did not want to end his own life, but rather to change things, to influence his younger self to follow a different path. He explains that he never became a Klingon warrior, but a diplomat and peacemaker, who sought to put an end to the centuries of struggle and feuding between the Great Houses. He had declared that the House of Mogh would no longer engage in vengeance or blood feuds. Worf warned him that this was a show of weakness, but Alexander insisted this was the way of the future. Almost immediately thereafter, Alexander witnessed Worf's murder on the floor of the Great Hall of the Klingon High Council. He thought that, if he had become a warrior, he'd have been able to stand with his father and defeat the assassins. So he came back to persuade his younger self to follow that ancient path, first by staging the assassination attempt on Maranga, then by trying to awaken young Alexander's interest in being just like all the other Klingons, as well as in protecting his father. He despaired when he saw that he had failed.

Worf says that Alexander has already changed history by coming back in time, and that things may not at all happen the way he fears. Worf explains that he must die with honor, and he cannot do that unless his son is true to himself and his beliefs. This means that Alexander must return to the future and continue to work for peace. Even a Klingon can see that peace is a worthy and just cause, and Worf believes Alexander has a noble future ahead of him. K'mtar says that he has failed, because the boy he was remains the same. Worf says that Alexander is the same, but Worf has changed, and now he understands that Alexander will have a noble future even if he is not a warrior. K'mtar embraces him and says, "I love you, father." Worf replies, "And I you, Alexander."

Later, young Alexander is waiting for Worf and K'mtar in the holodeck to begin bat'leth practice. Worf explains that K'mtar had to leave suddenly, but asked him to say goodbye, and that he will always respect Alexander no matter what he decides to do with his life. Worf, too, has come to respect Alexander, and suggests that they simply spend time together as father and son.

Log entries [ ]

• First officer's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)

Memorable quotes [ ]

" As time passes, a boy inevitably becomes a man but what is not inevitable is that a man becomes a sword. " " What? " " No, I meant… warrior. "

" The path of a warrior begins with the first rite of ascension… " " Is that when they hit you with pain sticks? " " No, that is the second rite. " " Oh. "

" Is, um… that what this is about? You're on your way and you're calling to reserve a holosuite program? "

" What are you doing on this planet? " " I… crashed here. " " Then you are denying involvement in illegal mining activities? " " Mining? So that's what all this equipment is here for. "

" We know you're dealing in stolen ore, but I want to talk about the assassination attempt on Lieutenant Worf. " " What assassination attempt? This is the first I've heard of it. " " Too bad it didn't succeed! " " Ha! "

" Yes, Lursa and B'Etor… big talk, small tips. "

" I love you, father. " " And I you, Alexander. "

Background information [ ]

Production history [ ].

• Final draft script : 28 January 1994 [1]
• Premiere airdate: 25 April 1994
• First UK airdate: 29 May 1996

Story and script [ ]

• Mark Kalbfeld 's original premise did not involve Alexander at all. Rather, it dealt with a Romulan ship with Federation markings from a future where the Federation and Romulan Star Empire were supposedly at peace. However, both the ship and the future version of Riker on board it would turn out to be hoaxes, part of a plot by the Romulans. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 292))
• Jeri Taylor recalled, " We had bought that story and he wrote it, but it just seemed a little ordinary so we started messing around with it during one of our brainstorming sessions and then we hit on the idea that Alexander comes back from the future to kill his young self. That seemed wonderful but for a long time that's all we had. We didn't know why he did this. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 303)
• The notion of using Alexander in a time travel plot had originated with an unused premise created by Joe Menosky earlier in the season. Menosky had proposed a story where Alexander accidentally fell into a time portal and permanently aged into a bitter twenty-five year-old. Michael Piller hated the idea, commenting that " I think it's a hideous thing to steal somebody's youth from them. " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 292); Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 303) Although not used here, that plot would eventually be recycled into DS9 : " Time's Orphan ". ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (pp. 577-579))
• The Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 292) notes the finished episode's plot is similar to both TAS : " Yesteryear " and the science fiction film Back to the Future .
• Originally, René Echevarria wanted to include K'Ehleyr as Alexander's rescuer at the end of the story. While Suzie Plakson was interested in reprising her character, she declined due to other acting commitments. Echevarria noted, " The truth is, it was a blessing. There was enough exposition to explain at the end of the show as it is! " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 292)) Piller noted, " I know Rick breathed a sigh of relief because he did not like the idea in the first place. But for better or worse, that might have helped the episode. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 303)
• In the original script, Riker mentions that he has talked to Benjamin Sisko and that it was Sisko who suggested that Riker ask Quark for information on a possible location of the Duras sisters. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion - A Series Guide and Script Library )

Cast and characters [ ]

Quark's crossover appearance

• Armin Shimerman makes his first appearance as Quark on a Star Trek series other than Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . He later appeared in the Star Trek: Voyager pilot " Caretaker ", in a scene cut from Star Trek: Insurrection , LD : " Hear All, Trust Nothing " and VST : " Holograms All the Way Down ". This episode airs between DS9 : " The Maquis, Part I " where Quark became involved in an arms deal with Sakonna , a Maquis operative, and DS9 : " The Maquis, Part II " with Quark and Sakonna's business continuing.
• Prior to this episode, James Sloyan appeared as Alidar Jarok in " The Defector " and in Deep Space Nine as Mora Pol in " The Alternate ", a role he reprised in " The Begotten ". He also played Doctor Ma'Bor Jetrel in VOY : " Jetrel ".
• Rick Berman and Michael Piller were hesitant to cast Sloyan as K'mtar, coming as it did so soon after his first appearance as Doctor Mora Pol in DS9 : " The Alternate ". However, Jeri Taylor convinced them that the Klingon makeup would hide this fact. She recalled, " I finally went to Michael and said, 'Look – we can take a lesser actor in this part or we can cast the actor who should be cast.' " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 292))

Brian Bonsall and Stunt Coordinator Dennis Madalone training for the episode

• This episode marks the final appearances of Alexander Rozhenko ( Brian Bonsall ), Lursa ( Barbara March ), and B'Etor ( Gwynyth Walsh ) on the series. The Duras sisters were previously seen in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode " Past Prologue ". They later appeared in Star Trek Generations . Alexander is later seen in Deep Space Nine 's sixth season , although he is played by Marc Worden .
• Joel Swetow had previously appeared in Deep Space Nine 's pilot episode " Emissary " as Gul Jasad .

Production [ ]

• Originally, the two actors playing in the Kot'baval Festival grunted their lines on stage. After filming, it was decided to make the Klingon opera more lyrical. Composer Dennis McCarthy provided the new melody, and both actors were good enough singers to reloop their lines to accompany it. Producer Wendy Neuss recalled, " It was one of our biggest jobs all year – figuring out what the on-camera instruments would sound like, breaking down all the syllables, figuring where the offstage line would be. " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 293))

Sets and props [ ]

The futuristic chair, designed by Peter Opsvik

• The chair in Worf's quarters was also seen in the episodes " Peak Performance ", " Family ", " Reunion ", " Redemption ", " New Ground ", " Cost Of Living ", " A Fistful of Datas ", " Birthright, Part I ", " Parallels ", and " Genesis " and was used as the command chair aboard the Tarellian starship in the first season episode " Haven ". It was designed by Peter Opsvik. [2]
• Worf's quarters also feature the Kahless and Morath statue , previously seen in the episodes " Peak Performance ", " Reunion ", " New Ground ", " Cost Of Living ", and " Genesis " and the Kahless shrine from the episode " Rightful Heir ".

Continuity [ ]

• Riker makes reference to the events of DS9 : " Past Prologue " in which the Duras sisters tried to sell bilitrium explosives on Deep Space 9 . K'mtar says that this happened months ago, but it had in fact been well over a year.

Reception [ ]

• Writer Ronald D. Moore , who is well-known for his Klingon episodes, praised Echevarria's different take on the major race. He remarked, " The stuff he did sixth season in " Birthright " and then what he did with them here is very interesting. Worf and Alexander celebrate at a Klingon outpost and they have this sort of mock opera singing, heroic fights and re-enactments of things in the streets and banners and this was a whole different cultural flavor to these guys that I hadn't thought of. My take on the Klingons was sort of more Shakespearean with the House of Mogh and that kind of stuff, and the rise and fall of political players. René brings in a much different element which I think serves them well. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 303)
• On the events of this episode, Michael Dorn opined, " We don't really know what happens now. Just that the future is uncertain. It's just like real life, but Worf is still a terrible father. He hasn't got a clue. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 303)
• Michael Piller commented, " I fell in love with the idea of 'Firstborn' in which we address the psychological implications of a man who feels a failure, who comes back to his own youth to destroy himself at a young age, in order to avoid the pain that he had caused and suffered. There is a tremendous science-fiction premise in that. And if you have been in on any of my therapy, you know that I've dealt with this on a number of different levels. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 303)

Apocrypha [ ]

• In the novel A Time for War, A Time for Peace , when Worf recommends Alexander to replace him as Federation Ambassador to the Klingon Empire, Worf tells Alexander that when he was young, Worf received a vision of Alexander's future and that it showed him to be an ambassador and excelling as such. Worf does not tell Alexander the source of his vision, but it is stated in the novel that Worf is clearly thinking of the visit from the future Alexander he is referring to as seen in this episode.
• The novel Watching the Clock implies that the future Alexander traveled through time through the use of a chrono deflector acquired from Korath , by identifying the prime Korath of 2382 as hailing from the Cambra system.
• In the mission "The House Always Wins" in Star Trek Online , set in 2409 , Alexander sacrifices himself to save Worf's life in the Great Hall, preventing the future that K'mtar had revealed to Worf.
• This episode was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Hairstyling for a Series.

Video and DVD releases [ ]

• UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 87, 5 September 1994 .
• As part of the TNG Season 7 DVD collection.

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Patrick Stewart as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
• Jonathan Frakes as Cmdr. William T. Riker

Also starring [ ]

• LeVar Burton as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
• Michael Dorn as Lieutenant Worf
• Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher
• Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi
• Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data

Guest stars [ ]

• James Sloyan as K'mtar
• Brian Bonsall as Alexander Rozhenko
• Gwynyth Walsh as B'Etor
• Barbara March as Lursa
• Joel Swetow as Yog
• Colin Mitchell as Gorta
• Armin Shimerman as Quark

Co-stars [ ]

• Michael Danek as Singer
• John Kenton Shull as Molor
• Rickey D'Shon Collins as Eric

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

• David Keith Anderson as Armstrong
• Arratia as Alfonse Pacelli
• Steve Blalock as Klingon assassin
• Chuck Borden as Klingon assassin
• Debbie David as Russell
• Cullen Chambers as command division officer
• Tracee Lee Cocco as Jae
• Debra Dilley as command division ensign
• Gunnel Eriksson as science division officer
• Jasmine Gagnier as Human Deep Space 9 operations division officer
• Keith Gearhart as operations division ensign
• Thomas Griep as Klingon musician
• D. Kai as science division officer
• Dennis Madalone as holographic Klingon warrior
• Lorine Mendell as Diana Giddings
• Michael Moorehead as science division ensign
• Tom Morga as Klingon assassin
• Pauline Olsen as operations division ensign
• Suzie Plakson as K'Ehleyr (still picture)
• Keith Rayve as civilian
• Joycelyn Robinson as Gates
• John Saint John as Klingon bystander
• Talbot as Ten Forward waitress
• Oliver Theess as terrorist assassin
• Mikki Val as operations division officer
• Anne Verrier Scatolini as Klingon bystander
• Command division officer
• Eight Klingon bystanderss
• Holographic Klingon warrior
• Operations division ensign (voice)
• Operations division officer
• Ten Forward waitress

Stunt doubles [ ]

• Rusty McClennon as stunt double for Michael Dorn
• Tom Morga as stunt double for John Kenton Shull

Stand-ins [ ]

• David Keith Anderson – stand-in for LeVar Burton
• Debbie David – stand-in for Brent Spiner
• Michael Echols – stand-in for Michael Dorn
• Nora Leonhardt – stand-in for Marina Sirtis
• Lorine Mendell – stand-in for Gates McFadden
• Christopher Ogden – photo double for Brian Bonsall
• Richard Sarstedt – stand-in for Jonathan Frakes
• Dennis Tracy – stand-in for Patrick Stewart

References [ ]

2410 ; ability ; advisor ; Age of Ascension ; Alexander's cousins ; Anjoran bio-mimetic gel ; assassin ; assassination ; bar ; Bar'el ; bilitrium ; buyer ; Cambra system ; code of conduct ; Corvallen ; d'k tahg ; dabo ; darsek ; Deep Space 9 ; Dopterian ; Duras sisters' Bird-of-Prey ; Federation ; fire ; fullerene ; gin'tak ; gram ; Great House ; Hatarian system ; heart ; Hitora colony ; holoprogram ; House of Duras ; House of Mogh ; Ja'rod ; K'Ehleyr ; K'mtar Alpha-One ; K'Nor ; Kahless the Unforgettable ; Kalla system ; Kalla III ; Kearsarge ; Klingon ; Klingon bird-of-prey ; Klingon Civil War ; Klingon Council Chamber ; Klingon Empire ; Klingon opera ; Klingon training academy ; Klingonese ; Kot'baval Festival ; kor'tova candle ; Kurn ; Kurn's house ; lake ; latinum ; magnesite ; Maranga IV ; mining ; mining expedition ; Molor ; money ; Morath ; Ogat ; Pakled ; path ; peacemaker ; Qo'noS ; Quark's ; Rom ; standard orbit ; Starfleet ; Stellar Dynamics ; swimming ; tarnish ; tempering ; tip ; tyrant ; Ufandi III ; Ufandi system ; Vodrey Nebula ; voucher ; warrior ; Ya'nora kor ; Yridian ; Yridian freighter

Library computer references [ ]

Starship mission status : Ajax , USS ; Alderaan ; Alpha Laputa IV ; Ambassador -class ; Apollo -class ; Aries , USS ; Beta Cygni system ; Bradbury , USS ; Bradbury -class ; Charleston , USS ; Constellation -class ; Excelsior -class ; Fearless , USS ; Goddard , USS ; Hood , USS ; Korolev -class ; Merced -class ; Merrimac , USS ; Monitor , USS ; Nebula -class ; New Orleans -class : pulsar ; Renaissance -class ; Repulse , USS ; Romulan Neutral Zone ; sector ; Sector 21396 ; Sector 21538 ; Sector 22358 ; Sector 22846 ; Sector 22853 ; Sector 23079 ; Starbase 134 ; Starbase 434 ; Thomas Paine , USS ; Trieste , USS ; Victory , USS ; Vulcan Science Academy ; warp drive ; Zhukov , USS

Spacecraft Systems Status : Bussard collector ; captain's yacht ; class M ; gross vehicle mass ; impulse engine ; main shuttlebay Mars ; navigational deflector ; observation lounge ; phaser bank ; service docking port ; shuttlebay 2 ; shuttlebay 3 ; torpedo launcher ; umbilical connect port ; Utopia Planitia ; warp nacelle

External links [ ]

• " Firstborn " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " Firstborn " at Wikipedia
• "Firstborn" at StarTrek.com
• " Firstborn " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast
• "Firstborn" script  at Star Trek Minutiae
• " Firstborn " at the Internet Movie Database
• 2 ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

Star Trek: The Next Generation : “Firstborn”/“Bloodlines”

“Firstborn” (season 7, episode 21; originally aired 4/23/1994)

Or The One Where It’s Your Kid, Worf, Something Has To Be Done About Your Kid

I’m not sure why it is that saddling characters with children is so often a bad idea. I have my suspicions, though. Part of it is being forced to see a formerly beloved hero assume a different, less overtly heroic role—as the next generation (hey!) steps in, the previous generation recedes in importance, and nobody wants to be reminded that they, too, will someday be a footnote in someone else’s journey. More than that, though, a child means a restriction of movement, and I watched a show about people on a spaceship because I want, basically, the opposite of that. Admittedly, it’s not as though the arrival of Alexander back in season four handcuffed Worf to a crib or anything, but we have had a number of episodes focusing on Worf’s struggles with being a single parent, and his difficulties in trying to bond with his son. While the story arc of Worf’s attempts to understand his place in the Klingon Empire have deepened our understanding and appreciation of the character, while also expanding the universe of the show, the Alexander Chronicles found one note and hit that note with varying degrees of intensity: Worf wants Alexander to embrace his warrior heritage, Alexander is more interested in being a regular Federation-raised kid, Worf is emotionally reserved, Alexander is whiny, rinse, repeat.

Related Content

That covers a good chunk of “Firstborn,” the last TNG episode to focus on Worf’s child-rearing catastrophes, and the first ever to present time travel as the easiest way for father and son to communicate. If that description makes “Firstborn” sound interesting, well, it’s not. Not really, and certainly not for the first two-thirds of its running time, which, for novelty’s sake, combines Alexander issues with intrigue from the Klingon homeworld involving Worf’s brother, certain questions of inheritance, and the villainous Duras sisters. It’s competently done, but there’s not much in the way of spark, because so much of this a retread of old routines. Worf wants Alexander to participate in a ritual that indicates the official beginning of his path towards becoming a warrior, and Alexander isn’t sure he wants to participate. So Worf, at Picard’s urging, takes Alexander to watch a Klingon ritual, and after the ritual, just as Alexander seems to finally be getting excited about pointy things and shouting, a group of assassins attacks, and Worf has to defend himself. He gets some help from a stranger whose been watching him all day, a Klingon named K’mtar who claims to be an important adviser in Worf’s brother’s household. After the attack is defeated, K’mtar sticks around to help Worf discover who tried to kill him, and also to work on convincing Alexander the importance of physical combat in a world of easy phaser access.

Let’s cut to the chase, shall we? K’mtar is not who he claims to be. He is, in fact, Alexander From The Future. Yeah, not kidding at all here, and it’s not a long con, or a dream, or some sort of paradox. I’m not even sure how this works. Old Alexander first proves he is who he says he is by describing what happened the day his mother died (apparently, even though this is the future and science is practically everywhere, which means it’d be the easiest thing in the world to run a DNA test—see next episode—Worf accepts this as sufficient explanation), then tells his sad tale. See, in the future, Alexander refused the warrior’s training Worf wanted for him, and took on the life of an ambassador instead, working to bring peace to the Klingon Empire. He succeeded, for the most part, but when it finally came time to sign the treaty, assassins killed Worf in front of Alexander’s eyes, and because he didn’t know how to fight, he couldn’t defend his father. So now he’s come back in time to convince his younger self to learn how to fight, to save his father’s life a few decades down the line.

This doesn’t really make a lot of sense. Structurally, we don’t get this information till the last 10 minutes of the episode, which means there’s not a lot of time to process its implications; up until that point, there are certain hints that K’mtar might not be who he said he was, but nothing substantial, beyond the curious design of one of the assassin’s daggers. (A symbol on the dagger hilt references the fact that one of the Duras sisters had a child, but when the Enterprise finally tracks down the sisters, they find out the pregnant one just realized she was pregnant a few days ago. Which is an odd coincidence, actually; the reason that the symbol is there is because the knife comes from the future—I guess it probably was the weapon used to kill future Worf—but there’s no reason why Old Alexander would just happen to jump back in time to right at the same moment the sister realizes she’s with child. It would’ve been more plausible for neither sister to be pregnant, and use that to deny their involvement.) I’ve heard accusations that TNG used time travel too casually, but this is the first episode where that accusation really seemed like truth. Even “Time’s Arrow” at least attempted to treat the violation of the laws of causality with some modicum of respect. In “Firstborn,” jumping back 40 years and directly interfering with your past self is presented as a perfectly rational approach to grief, like sleeping too much or crying at Hallmark commercials. We don’t even see K’mtar leave. After he tells Worf his story, and Worf gives him a hug and says everything’s gonna be okay, K’mtar vanishes off screen, leaving room for one last scene in which Worf can tell his present day son that he can be whatever kind of Klingon he wants to be.

That’s a not a bad way to end this, and to its credit, “Firstborn” does do a decent job of playing fair to the values of both the father and the son. While Worf’s Klingon heritage will always look a bit silly to my eyes—here it’s basically a scene of two grown men singing at each other and pretending to fight—it’s not considered ridiculous or pointless within the context of the show; and as shrill as Alexander gets, it’s hard not to understand where he’s coming from when he says he doesn’t particularly want to spent the next 10 years or so of his life getting over his reluctance to murder fallen enemies. When Old Alexander describes the future to Worf, his accomplishments are actually quite impressive, which is one of the reasons why Worf ultimately decides to let his son find his own path. If you squint a little, there’s something rather beautiful in this, and in a real distant way, it marks a kind of conclusion to the arc Worf’s been riding since the first season. He still values the old ways, but he recognizes that the Klingon Empire needs to change if it’s to survive, and he’s proud to learn that his son could be a part of that change. By the end, Worf is optimistic about the future, convinced that his knowledge of what happens next will save him, but you get the impression as well that he doesn’t mind dying if it means Alexander can live the life he chooses. That’s a great message, no question.

Shame, then, that’s in such a goofy, plausibility-straining hour of television. There’s a lot of useless wandering around as the Enterprise tries to track down whoever tried to kill Worf; since K’mtar was the one to stage the assassination attempt, they obviously aren’t going to find anything, although we do get a brief cameo from Deep Space Nine ’s Quark. (Actually, there’s a whole string of wheedling, kind of scummy aliens that pops up throughout the episode, as though the show was trying to hit a quota before the end of the run.) Too much time is spent on a distraction when it could’ve been spent dealing with the ramifications of “K’mtar’s” trip. But then, I’m not sure more attention would’ve made his decision to risk the fabric of space time to save his father’s life (who died, let’s not forget, when Alexander was already an adult; a tragedy, sure, but not something so awful that it would merit potentially erasing one’s existence. I get that Old Alexander is driven as much by guilt as by grief, but it’s still a little ridiculous.). Because that would’ve given us time to wonder why Worf never got in touch with his brother directly to see what was going on; doing so would’ve exposed Old Alexander as a liar far too soon. The real problem here is that this is an idea that just doesn’t work. Time travel shouldn’t be a casual plot fixative. There should be a cost involved, and there’s no real cost here. Any time I try and take any part of “Firstborn” seriously, I go back to Old Alexander’s tortured I“ AM YOUR SON,” and I roll my eyes. I can’t help it. This is an episode that needed something extra to make it worth watching, but they overshot the mark, and turned a dull-but-credible hour into a dull-but-absurd one.

Stray observations:

• How thrilling was Riker and Quark’s discussing about pressed latinum vouchers? Very! (Although I did love the extra standing at attention in the back of Quark’s set, in case we thought it was just an actor in a room.)
• Credit where it’s due: The scene where Alexander bugs his dad for money so he can hang out with his friends is kind of sweet.
• How Klingons Are Different From Most Of Us: When a child participates in a ceremonial battle and decides to take things very seriously, no one calls the cops.

“Bloodlines” (season 7, episode 22; originally aired 4/30/1994)

Or The One Where Picard Realizes His Whole Life Has Been A Cover Of “Cat’s In The Cradle,” Only Not Really

Did everybody get enough Daddy issues in “Firstborn”? No? Well have I got an episode for you!

I’m not really a television historian. Yes, yes, I realize this may come as a shock, but I’ve never had a good head for dates or trends or important names. In some ways, this limits my usefulness as a critic of classic TV; if I had any real regret over my work on the various Trek series so far, it’s that I’ve never put much effort into trying to contextualize the shows, beyond stating some common knowledge. (I don’t really regret this, honestly, because I think we all have fun anyway, and I do good work in other areas. In fact, the only time this has really bothered me is back when I was doing my write-ups of The Prisoner , which I can’t help feeling was something of a missed opportunity. But I digress.) So when I say that it’s a sign of desperation when a show starts throwing long-lost relatives at its main characters to try and generate new drama, I can’t provide you with a catalog of examples to back up the assertion. But it makes a certain amount of sense. This late in a run, you’ve probably worked through all the major conflicts between the ensemble, and given that TNG generally avoiding the usual bed-hopping that comes from workplace dramas, there’s only so much mileage you can get out of Beverly and Picard occasionally glancing at each other. So its time to start pulling every trick in the book: buried secrets , inter-dimensional prophets , and orgasm-inducing aliens .

And now we can add “long lost son” to the list. (Actually, have we been down this road before? I suppose Alexander sort of counts, and maybe there was something with Riker at some point… nah, I’d remember that.) Picard is having his usual stellar day when he gets a visit from Bok, a Ferengi who blames Picard for the death of his son. This brings us to another classic late-season ploy—the “Hey, let’s bring back stuff from the first season, because we definitely want to remind people how long we’ve been on the air!” game. We went through this with “Journey’s End,” and now we’re getting a call-back to the first season episode “The Battle,” in which then DaiMon Bok attempted to get his revenge on Picard via a mind-control device. At the end of “Battle,” Bok was stripped of his rank for engaging in an unprofitable mission (sigh), but he’s back now, and apparently up to no good, using a variety of probes and transporter techniques to send Picard a simple message: Bok is going to murder the captain’s son.

Only, so far as Picard knew, he doesn’t have a son. So now it’s a race to find this mysterious progeny before Bok does, and prevent the unthinkable. (Er, actually, it’s been thought of, so I guess the unacceptable? Which makes murder sound like a poor test result, but whatever.) If everyone wasn’t so hell-bent on saving the day, they might stop to wonder just why Bok would be so keen on warning Picard of his intentions in advance. We learn later on that it sort of makes sense; Picard doesn’t actually have a son, but he was in a relationship with a woman named Miranda who had a kid named Jason who doesn’t know who his father is, so Bok manipulates Jason’s DNA to match Picard’s, and none of this wouldn’t have been worth it if Picard hadn’t had some time to bond with his fake offspring. Although that still requires a ridiculous amount of planning and good luck, and it’s bizarre that Bok would be so invested in all this. When Bok was originally introduced, Picard’s involvement in his son’s death (which happened while Picard was captain of the Stargazer ) made for a decent dynamic; even if Picard didn’t have any reason to be guilty, he could at least feel responsible enough for there to be some tension between wanting to protect himself, and dealing with the past. Plus, this is season one we’re talking about. A lot of crazy shit went down back then, and it was easy to accept anything that even hinted at competence. Now, though, Bok’s two-dimensional obsession makes him look like a sub-par Batman villain.

That means that our only real hope for any depth here is the connection Picard tried to build between himself and Jason Vigo, the 20something scoundrel who he believes is his son. The Bok problem doesn’t have a lot of surprises, apart from the twist that Jason is a con (who doesn’t realize he’s a con), so a good chunk of the episode is taken up with Picard and Vigo’s tentative attempts at rapprochement. None of it’s revolutionary, but as usual, Patrick Stewart does his best with what he’s given, and there’s a certain dignity in his careful, measured sincerity, unsure of his next step but determined to do the right thing. As Jason, Ken Olandt is fine, in a generically charming-and-good-looking kind of way. (To put it in different terms, the actor wouldn’t look out of place doing a guest spot on a CW show.) The two have one genuinely good scene together on the holodeck, as Picard carefully attempts to explain his reasons behind wanting to establish a relationship. They talk about Jason’s mother, who died years ago, about his troubled past, and various other things, and Picard gets the best line of the episode: “You’ll never look at your hairline in the same way again.”

And yet, too much of this relationship is built on the premise that its a parent’s responsibility to force his way into their child’s life, even if that child is an adult and doesn’t seem to particularly want to meet his dad. (Even if his dad is the freakin’ captain of a starship, I mean come on.) The downside to TNG ’s utopian vision is its assumption that meddling in other’s lives is an automatic good if one’s intentions are in the right place. The Prime Directive stops them from doing this with outsiders, but there seems to be no limit to the amount of poking, prodding, and unasked for interrogations you’d be forced to endure if you happened to wander around the Enterprise having a bad day. Compassion is a wonderful thing, but so are boundaries, and time and again, our heroes have shown an inability to grasp this. Beverly tells Picard he should push to get closer to his son, and while Picard initially resists this, he ultimately decides his resistance is based on selfishness; he has responsibilities, and given Jason’s criminal record (mostly just petty theft and an occasional bar fight), it’s his duty to get involved. Commendable motives, and it works out in the end—Because really, who wouldn’t want Captain Picard as a dad?—but I’m not sure I buy the message. Jason isn’t a teenager. He’s an adult, and if he doesn’t want a stranger butting into his life and telling him where he went wrong, that’s his right.

Not that any of this matters, because of course Jason isn’t really Picard’s son. It’s hard to get too worked up over any of this, really. There’s a brief tension when Bok manages to beam Jason off the Enterprise even after Geordi and Data have done all they can to stop the Ferengi’s plans, but being the cartoon villain he is, Bok decides to gloat over Jason for a while before actually stabbing him, giving Picard enough time to bravely beam aboard the Ferengi ship and explain to Bok’s crew just how crazy their new “DaiMon” really is. This is largely one-note material, and since Bok’s issues with Picard aren’t really delved into, there’s no weight to anything that happens. It’s not horrible, but beyond the above mentioned scene, and a few eerie moments when Bok suddenly appears in Picard’s quarters, it’s not really necessary, either. If the grade seems harsh, well, it’s not that I mind episodes like this; it’s just, there’s something sad about coming to the end of a show I love, and realizing I’m more and more eager to be finished with it.

• Jason gets to participate in the Ritual of Hitting On Deanna when the counselor stops by his rooms to say “Hi.” Not sure why this scene exists, but hey, gotta fill the running time somehow.

Next week… and beyond! All right, we’re getting down to the wire here, so let’s start locking in the schedule. Next Thursday, 12/8, we’ll be doing “Emergence” and “Preemptive Strike,” the final two episodes before the finale. On 12/15, we’ll be taking look at Star Trek: Insurrection , the second to last big screen outing for the TNG crew, and on the following Saturday, (12/17), The AV Club will host a live chat-through of Star Trek: Nemesis , the final TNG film. (This will work like the live chat Todd VanDerWerff and I did for X-Files: Fight The Future , although I’m not sure who my co-host will be.) And finally, on 12/22, just in time for Christmas, we’ll close out the Star Trek: The Next Generation reviews with a look at the two part series finale, “All Good Things… ”

So, to sum up: 12/8: “Emergence/Preemptive Strike” 12/15: Star Trek: Insurrection 12/17: Star Trek: Nemesis live chat 12/22: “All Good Things… ”

And then Christmas and New Years and so forth, which should be a nice change of pace for everyone.

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Star Trek: The Next Generation - Full Cast & Crew

• 51   Metascore
• Drama, Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction
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A new crew boards a revamped USS Enterprise in the first spin-off from the '60s cult classic.

Screenwriter

Sound effects, special effects, executive producer, co-producer, line producer, cinematographer, production company.

Screen Rant

The aunt of star trek: tng's tasha yar actress once romanced ds9's quark.

Despite leaving TNG in season 1, Denise Crosby has lasting ties to the Star Trek franchise, including her aunt, who fell in love with DS9's Quark.

The aunt of Star Trek: The Next Generation 's Denise Crosby once had a brief romance with Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Quark (Armin Shimerman). Denise Crosby played Lt. Tasha Yar in TNG , whose family continued to pop up in the show even after she was killed by Armus. Tasha's sister, Ishara Yar (Beth Toussaint), used the crew of the USS Enterprise-D to help her launch an invasion of the Turkana IV Alliance's territory in TNG season 4, episode 6, "Legacy". Star Trek: The Next Generation season 5 introduced Sela (Denise Crosby) Tasha Yar's half-Romulan daughter from an alternate timeline, who became a recurring villain on the show.

Tasha Yar's extended family appearing on Star Trek: The Next Generation was reflective of Denise Crosby's own family links to the wider Star Trek universe. Denise Crosby was the granddaughter of popular crooner and actor Bing Crosby, named after her father, and Bing's son, Dennis Crosby. Embarrassed by a high-profile child support case between Dennis Crosby and Denise's mother, Marilyn Miller Scott, Bing Crosby reportedly never met his granddaughter . Amid this court battle, Bing Crosby's second wife, Kathryn, gave birth to her second child, Denise's aunt and future Star Trek: Deep Space Nine guest star , Mary Crosby.

Star Trek: TNG's Most Hated Episode Still Traumatizes Denise Crosby

Star trek: tng's denise crosby's aunt played quark's love interest in ds9.

Denise Crosby's aunt Mary played Professor Natima Lang in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 2, episode 18, "Profit and Loss" . Mary Crosby was a prolific TV guest star in the early 1990s, appearing in shows such as Murder, She Wrote and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman before being cast as Natima in DS9 . A specialist in political ethics, Natima was a prominent member of the Cardassian dissident movement, who wanted to overthrow their government's military rulers. Natima Lang was a character who brought out Quark's romantic and heroic side, something that DS9 writer and producer Ira Steven Behr disapproved of :

" I felt we didn't need another tough, sexy, swashbuckling character on the show. We had enough of those." - Ira Steven Behr, The Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion

Mary Crosby is best known for playing Kristin Shepard in the iconic soap opera Dallas between 1979 and 1981 . Kristin Shepard was the character who famously shot J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman) in the soap, with the reveal becoming one of the highest-rated episodes of any TV drama. In an interesting parallel between her character in Dallas and her character in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , Mary Crosby also shoots Quark in "Profit and Loss", albeit accidentally. It's a fun nod to Mary Crosby's best-known TV role.

Denise Crosby's Other Star Trek Family Links

Mary Crosby isn't the only member of Denise Crosby's extended family to appear in the wider Star Trek universe. Denise Crosby's brother, Paul, is married to actress and stunt performer, Spice Williams, who has made many appearances in the Star Trek franchise . Spice Williams-Crosby played Vixis in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier , the first officer on Klaa's Klingon bird of prey. As a stunt performer, Spice Williams-Crosby doubled for Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine on episodes of Star Trek: Voyager.

Denise Crosby is also a distant relation of Family Guy creator and Star Trek: Enterprise guest star, Seth MacFarlane . Ancestry details of Seth MacFarlane reveal that he was a descendant of William Brewster, an ancestor of Bing Crosby. This means that Denise Crosby and Seth MacFarlane are distant cousins, a detail which must have pleased the noted Star Trek fan. In 2011, Seth MacFarlane revealed his desire to reboot the franchise on TV, a dream he never got to realize. However, his sci-fi comedy drama The Orville is the next best thing, a loving homage to Star Trek: The Next Generation that features many of its alumni.

All episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine are available to stream on Paramount+.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: The Next Generation is the third installment in the sci-fi franchise and follows the adventures of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew members of the USS Enterprise. Set around one hundred years after the original series, Picard and his crew travel through the galaxy in largely self-contained episodes exploring the crew dynamics and their own political discourse. The series also had several overarching plots that would develop over the course of the isolated episodes, with four films released in tandem with the series to further some of these story elements.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also known as DS9, is the fourth series in the long-running Sci-Fi franchise, Star Trek. DS9 was created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, and stars Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton. This particular series follows a group of individuals in a space station near a planet called Bajor.

Giant Freakin Robot

Star Trek: Discovery Hides DS9 Connections In Plain Sight

Posted: May 1, 2024 | Last updated: May 2, 2024

Star Trek: Discovery is in its fifth and final season, and the show has been making frequent messages to other shows in the franchise on its way out. For example, the season-long mystery about the Progenitors is building off of Captain Picard’s research in the TNG episode “The Chase,” and our characters recently discovered the ISS Enterprise from the TOS episode “Mirror, Mirror.” It turns out the Star Trek: Discovery episode “Mirrors” hid a Deep Space Nine reference in plain sight by referencing travels to the Gamma Quadrant, seemingly confirming how important Bajor has remained in the 32nd century.

Deep Space Nine’s Game-Changing Wormhole

To understand the importance of this Star Trek: Discovery reference, you need to cast your mind back to the first episode of Deep Space Nine and how much it changed the lives of everyone on the planet Bajor. That was when Sisko reluctantly took command of DS9 to help Bajor rebuild and recover after the brutal occupation by the Cardassians. He discovered a wormhole in Bajoran space that would allow quick and easy travel into the otherwise remote Gamma quadrant.

The Importance of Stable Wormholes

An earlier episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation underscored why the discovery of a stable wormhole near Bajor was so important. In the episode “The Price,” the Federation is so excited about the existence of a stable wormhole to the Delta Quadrant that they start bidding against other groups to manage the wormhole (I guess they forgot the whole “we don’t use money” idea that day). Eventually, Geordi La Forge learns that the exit for the wormhole is not stable and that anyone who goes through might not be able to come out, something two Ferengi discover the hard way.

Bajor Transformed Over Time

In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Sisko is responsible for the discovery of a wormhole near Bajor that is stable on both sides, allowing travel to and from the Gamma Quadrant. This discovery is a game-changer for everyone involved. Bajor suddenly went from being a galactic backwater to being a hub of commerce and travel. Accordingly, Deep Space Nine went from being a relatively unimportant space station to the most important Starfleet base, especially during the Dominion War.

Background on Moll and L’ak

Of course, you’re probably wondering what this Star Trek history lesson has to do with either Discovery or Bajor. The episode “Mirrors” gives us more background on Moll and L’ak, the Bonnie and Clyde duo who always seem to stay one step ahead of Captain Burnham in the race to learn more about the Progenitors. Moll reveals that when she was younger, her father promised to take the family to some kind of colony in the Gamma Quadrant that he considered a safe haven.

Moll’s Motivation

As a now-grown courier and career criminal, one of Moll’s big motivations remains getting enough latinum to start a new life for herself in the Gamma Quadrant. To me, though, the most interesting thing about this Star Trek: Discovery episode was the casual confirmation that Bajor remains extremely important in the 32nd century. Vessels traveling all the way to the Gamma Quadrant would still have to use the Bajoran wormhole, and that phenomenon was likely all the more important during the Burn when dilithium was scarce and warp travel impossible.

Discovery’s Nod to Bajor’s Significance

While it doesn’t lean as hard into Deep Space Nine fan service as certain episodes of Lower Decks, I was quite happy to see Star Trek: Discovery quietly confirm that Bajor remains one of the most important places in the galaxy. Even in the far future of the 32nd century, this wormhole remains the only way to reliably access the Gamma Quadrant.

And since Star Trek has never followed up on that wild Deep Space Nine finale, it’s entirely possible that Benjamin Sisko is still in that wormhole, having non-linear conversations with the Prophets and, if they’re lucky, sharing his father’s jambalaya recipe. 

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'Star Trek: Picard's Michelle Hurd Says Raffi "Will Love Seven [Until] the End of Time"

Hurd also told the story of how Seven and Raffi's relationship became part of the series during a panel at Calgary Expo.

The Big Picture

• At Calgary Expo, Michelle Hurd spoke in depth about the relationship between Seven and Raffi.
• Hurd confirms Raffi's enduring love for Seven, hinting at a potential future in Star Trek: Legacy if Paramount+ greenlights the series.
• The unexpected Seven and Raffi romance in Picard was sparked by the chemistry between the Hurd and Jeri Ryan at Comic-Con.

While many Star Trek: The Next Generation fans watched their dreams come true in the third and final season of Star Trek: Picard , Saffi fans were left wanting more. Having gotten together in the Season 1 finale and sharing a rocky, but ultimately happy relationship in Season 2, Saffi — or Seven and Raffi to those who may not know their 'ship moniker — went through an off-screen break-up ahead of the final season. While the split was never really directly addressed in the jam-packed season, it set both characters up to serve as the captain and first officer of the newly commissioned Enterprise-G in the series finale.

Speaking during a panel at Calgary Expo hosted by Collider's Maggie Lovitt , a fan asked Michelle Hurd about the break-up and the relationship's potential future in Star Trek: Legacy . Laughing, Hurd said, "[You say] break up and I've got my U-Haul." She went on to say that she and her co-star Jeri Ryan have discussed the relationship at length. "Jeri and I have also talked about this and I’ve said it to her many times. And I’m like, ‘You do understand that Raffi loves Seven, period. End of discussion.’ She will love Seven [until] the end of time. "

While that answer is about as straightforward as they come, Hurd went on to say, "The one thing that we also have to acknowledge is that Raffi loves Seven, that Fenris Ranger, that incredible creature, that amazing individual that stands in front of her. Raffi would never want to limit her or extinguish any of her beautiful flames . So, Raffi will always be happy with Seven in her vision." Even if the pair technically shouldn't be in a relationship while in command, "She wants Seven to be happy with Raffi in her eyesight, but she's perfectly happy to be in her space."

'Star Trek': Why the Captain/First Officer Ship Is So Irresistible

Hurd went on to say, "One of the things that we really wanted to tell [was] that story of two women of a certain age, who are stubborn, who are set in their patterns, who are living their lives as authentically as they can, who can't help but find each other. So with that, it's a beautiful thing, but it's a complicated thing. And so, I think that there's always going to be love there. " While we don't know if Legacy will get the green light yet at Paramount+ , if the spin-off does happen Hurd said:

"It would be an amazing thing to see that kind of dynamic, to see the respect that each other has to have for each other's space as well as, [some] jealousy[...] I think it would be a phenomenal story. So I can't say for sure whether there's going to be, you know, a white picket fence. But if you're asking Raffi, there’s a white picket fence"

How Saffi Became Part of the 'Star Trek: Picard' Season 1 Finale

During the panel, another fan spoke about being surprised by the handhold between Seven and Raffi in the Picard Season 1 finale and asked Hurd if the relationship was planned from the beginning or if it was added in later. While their romance wasn't always planned, Hurd explained that when she looked back at the first season there was an "appreciation" between Seven and Raffi from their first scenes together. She said: "I think that in that season, that episode where they're getting ready to go down to the planet, and I'm helping Seven and Raffi’s giving her [the handcuffs], you could tell that she respects her. So there was already some kind of appreciation between the two of them that moment ."

Hurd went on to tell the story of how at SDCC ahead of the first season, co-star Jonathan Del Arco happened to snap a picture of Hurd and Ryan dressed to the nines and immediately showed it to their producers. She told the Calgary Expo crowd:

"I believe it was at the San Diego Comic-Con, that same event, which was huge and fantastic. And they had a green room, a space where all the actors and everybody goes to get ready for whatever. And Jeri was in this fantastic red dress. She was absolutely gorgeous, and I was wearing a white Helston jumpsuit, so I didn't look too bad myself. And we’re friends, I adore her, and we were standing together and I kind of put my arm around her waist and I kind of gave her a squeeze. And Jonathan Del Arco, Hugh, [and] Jeri's manager is Jonathan's husband. So we're all friends, with Kyle [Fritz]. So Jonathan was standing over there, and he was like, ‘Oh my God, look at me.’ And so we both just looked at him and he took a picture. And then I swear to God, he took that camera, walked right over to our producers, Akiva Goldsman , Alex Kurtzman , [and] Michael Chabon . We’re all sitting right there, and he said, ‘You guys look at how big these two look together.’"

The rest was history as the producers immediately turned around and told Hurd and Ryan, "'Ladies, we have an idea,' and that’s how it started." While we wait to see if Hurd and Ryan will return on Star Trek: Legacy you can stream all three seasons of Picard on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Picard

Follow-up series to Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) that centers on Jean-Luc Picard in the next chapter of his life.

Watch on Paramount+

Star Trek Discovery’s L’ak Actor Told Us About Learning His Character's Most Exciting Details At A Point When He Couldn't Immediately Freak Out

I would be losing my mind too.

Warning! The following contains SPOILERS for the Star Trek: Discovery episode "Mirrors." Watch the episode with a Paramount+ subscription before hopping in!

Star Trek: Discovery snuck in a significant reveal in its latest episode, and it answered a question that many fans have wondered for decades. We finally know what the Breen look like, and it turns out we've been looking at one almost the entire season. L'ak has the honor of being the first Breen face for fans to see, and actor Elias Toufexis had a great story of geeking out when he first learned about it.

For those who follow him on X , Toufexis is a massive Star Trek fan, but he didn't find out how significant his role as L'ak in the final season was until he was in a spot where, understandably, wild reactions and jerky movements are discouraged. The actor shared the details of when he first found out he was going to be a Breen and how he felt about it:

When I went to the makeup test I had, I had to go put on the whole plaster where you sit there for 20 minutes and try not to pass out, try not to freak out. But I said, ‘Can I look at what I'm going to look like?’ And they showed me some concept art and I said, ‘What is he?’ And they said, ‘Oh, he's, he's gonna be a Breen.’ And I was like, ‘Breen don't take their helmets off.’ That was the first thing I said, that's a much of a nerd I am. And I'm like, ‘Are you telling me I'm gonna be the first Breen that takes his helmet off?’ …The makeup guys are geeks too. So it's like, ‘Yeah, it's gonna be cool. It's gonna be the first time in Star Trek!’ And so that really got me excited.

I can't express how much I love it when a big fan of Star Trek finds themselves in a role for the franchise. Being the first unmasked Breen may not mean a ton to every actor who would get the honor, but I know Elias Toufexis was as enthusiastic as he stated in the quote above. At the same time, what awful timing to figure it out when you're in the makeup chair and have to contain your excitement physically for a set period of time!

The Breen were first mentioned Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1990, and then six years later, the species would make its debut in the Deep Space Nine episode "Indiscretion" but remained unseen until just recently. According to a quote from showrunner Ira Steven Behr from the Deep Space Nine Companion , Breen were originally fully covered up because he "wasn't in the mood" to design a new alien race.

Fast forward to now, we've seen an unmasked Breen on the run from his species with his lover, Moll (who is nothing like Ahsoka 's Shin Hati ). The couriers are searching for the Progenitors' device in hopes they can exchange it with the Breen for freedom and no longer have to live as fugitives.

I'm getting really excited about this.

Michael Burnham, being the inspiring captain that she is , offered to protect L'ak and Moll from the Breen, but her offer was rejected. The two made their escape, are off to continue to search for more clues and, hopefully, evade the Breen capture.

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It is cool to see Star Trek still surprising fans with reveals decades later, and I wonder if we'll see more unmasked Breen in upcoming Star Trek projects going forward. Perhaps whatever comes out of this conflict with the Breen will play a part in the story of the upcoming Starfleet Academy series , which is also set in the 32nd century. I can imagine we'll see at least one or two members of the Discovery cast there, though Mary Wiseman wouldn't spill the beans when I asked. Hey, you can't blame a guy for trying!

Star Trek: Discovery streams new episodes on Paramount+ on Thursdays. We're officially at the midpoint in the final season, so now would be a good time to remember what we've learned so far and gear up for the final episodes.

Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.

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Anitta Reborn: The Brazilian Superstar on ‘Funk Generation,’ Her First U.S. Tour and the Mysterious Illness that Reset Her Career

Photographs by Victoria Stevens

For most of her life, Anitta didn’t think much about her death.

Despite growing up in the notorious favelas of Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian multi-hyphenate just knew that her life would be as glamorous as she always imagined: she would sing, dance and act her way to global stardom. Gradually, that vision has been coming to life.

“I never thought that I wasn’t going to get what I wanted,” she says. “Everyone around me has been maybe more realistic, but I just have these visions for how my life will turn out. I don’t tell anyone, because I know how easily outside pressure can influence the results.”

Popular on Variety

Then, Anitta was hit with a mysterious illness that racked her with chronic, full-body pain and fevers that at times rendered her unable to walk. She was tested for cancer and autoimmune diseases but still doesn’t have a solid diagnosis for what she was experiencing. In her search for relief, Anitta took a month off and retreated into the Yoruba faith she’d learned as a child from her father, taking trips to several countries to connect with ancient healing traditions, from kundalini yoga to meditation. A few hours after this interview took place, she flew to Greenland to spend a week alone, visiting shamans and hiking through “spiritual portals” — parts of the earth that are said to be sensitive to energy.

To advance that new approach, Anitta felt she needed a new team. In the aftermath of the underwhelming response to “Versions of Me,” she cleaned house, parting ways with her longtime manager, Brandon Silverstein, and Warner Music, the label she’d been with for her entire professional career.

At the time, she didn’t tell the world that she was on the verge of dropping out of the music industry. But she’s brutally honest about it now, explaining that her efforts to be palatable internationally were neutering the boldfaced individuality that made her a star in the first place.

“I didn’t feel happy,” she says. “I didn’t have the energy anymore. I was looking at the sales numbers too much, reading what the internet and critics had to say. And after having thought so much about what life could look like if I quit, or if I died … my priorities shifted.”

However, she was contractually obligated to deliver at least two more albums to Warner. So Anitta effectively launched a social-media campaign against her label, claiming its executives never believed “Envolver” — a rare RIAA Latin Diamond-certified single — would be successful without the aid of a co-billed artist, and that her team at Warner’s Latina division wasn’t doing enough to promote her music. “If there was a fine to pay, I would have already auctioned off my organs, no matter how expensive it was to get out,” she wrote on X. “But unfortunately, there isn’t.”

Ultimately, there was, in the form of a reported multimillion-dollar settlement with Warner — $6 million, some sources say (representatives for Anitta and Warner declined to comment on the deal) — as well as a reasonably amicable separation from Silverstein, who, shortly after their parting, was seen speaking abusively to someone over speakerphone in a widely circulated video. Anitta and reps for Silverstein declined to comment on the video, but she says carefully, “[Brandon] did what he needed to do, and what I wanted to do at the time, but my focus changed. He was always very respectful and understanding with me.”

Then, just a month after leaving Warner, she announced a new deal — with Universal Music’s Republic label — and shortly after that, a new manager: Miami-born Rebeca León, who’d helped steer Rosalía, J Balvin and Juanes to superstardom.

From there, Anitta quickly released new music — a three-song bundle titled “ Funk Generation : a Favela Love Story,” which was expanded into a full album under the same title that dropped on April 26. But instead of leaning uncomfortably into popular Western styles, she went back to the youthful baile funk sound of the favelas — a vibrantly danceable combination of samba, Miami bass, hip-hop and syncopated African beats.

Experiment, Anitta does: “Funk Generation” has lyrics in Spanish, English and Portuguese over sweltering rhythms of favela funk. She’s the first to acknowledge that it will be a challenge for some of her more pop-leaning fans, not to mention new ones.

“For a long time, the numbers have decided whether I won or failed, and that will push you to do something unoriginal,” she says. “I want to be very clear: That doesn’t mean I don’t love my old songs. With ‘Versions of Me,’ I was trying a little bit of everything to try to solidify myself in the mainstream, but I don’t care what the fuck is gonna happen with this next album. I love the adrenaline of not knowing whether people are going to like it.”

“That is the true definition of fearlessness,” León says, “when you only want to do what you do because you fucking love it.”

When Anitta first reached out, León had recently transitioned out of managing Rosalía to focus on growing her production company, Lionfish Studios. After working as a co-producer on a 2022 remake of “Father of the Bride,” León and Lionfish Studios are developing several female-driven projects said to have heavy music components that showcase the nuances and intricacies of Latin culture.

“I was on my pseudo break, and [Anitta] asked me to essentially assess her career with her,” León recalls. From that meeting, she found the singer’s resilience inspiring and the opportunities for her career virtually limitless. But she, too, found that in the process of chasing that crossover dream, Anitta had not been making the music she wanted to make.

“She’s gotten here. Now she’s fighting to do what she’s always wanted to do: bring [baile] funk, a marginalized genre, to the big stage,” León says.

And although the genre is lyrically hyper-sexualized, Anitta says her take on it is “all about the sound.” “Brazilian funk is very, very sexual and very explicit, but those lyrics don’t reflect what I’m living personally now,” she says.

“It’s more an exploration of my love for the beats, the parties, and how it all makes me feel,” says Anitta. “A lot of the producers on this album are people who came from the ghetto, the slums, the favelas. They live and breathe Brazilian funk — the kind of funk that has crazy lyrics, that nasty shit.”

Where 2022’s “Versions of Me” leaned into American pop production, “Funk Generation” was a crate-digging process for Brazilian producers like Gabriel do Borel and the duo Tropkillaz, who reference contemporary sub-genres of funk, altering its brass sections with sped-up tempos and repetitive electronic patterns. 

Despite her distancing comments, “Funk Generation” is seriously X-rated, both lyrically and musically. On the song “Savage Funk,” Anitta repeats the word “fuck” 58 times, phrasing her vocals so that they sound like a bassline.

Not that any of this is out of character: Anitta’s sexuality has always been a focal point of her public image. She’s often described herself as two people: Larissa de Macedo Machado, the person she grew up as, and Anitta. All superstars struggle with where the self ends and the star begins, but for her, it seems to be about self-preservation. “I can see myself leaving the name ‘Anitta’ behind,” she muses about the persona that embraces her “most animalistic desires,” “but I’ll never just be Larissa. I am very protective of her. It helps people to understand that there is the artist, and then there is the human who just wants to go home and hide.

“I use my sexuality as a freedom message,” Anitta concludes. “It’s not like I’m telling everyone to flash their pussies. But we have a right to express ourselves without feeling ashamed.”

Despite all of the self-empowering words, on May 18, Anitta will embark on a project that, in the past, she didn’t really want to do: her first global tour, a 20-plus-date trek in intimate venues dubbed the “Baile Funk Experience” in North America, South America and Europe.

“Touring is tiring,” she says, “and I don’t like going for extended periods without seeing my family. But I’m so engaged with this project that I want to do it. And I want to still keep it small; I want to be able to look people in the eyes. It’s not going to be enough for you to just stand there and watch. The person who goes to this concert will feel an urgency to be a part of it.”

As for what comes next, Anitta is pursuing acting gigs following her role in the Netflix drama series “Elite.” She plans to work her way up, as she always has. Of course, the future holds little mystery for her. “I know what’s going to happen next,” she says, cracking a mischievous smile. “I’m going to keep making very surprising turns — you’ll be left like, ‘Who is this person?’”

Styling: Maleeka Moss/The Only Agency; Makeup: Allan Aponte; Hair: Florido/The Only Agency; Props: BG Porter/Owl and Elephant

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• Cast & crew
• User reviews
• Episode aired Apr 30, 1994

Picard races the Ferengi in an effort to track down the son he never knew he had. Picard races the Ferengi in an effort to track down the son he never knew he had. Picard races the Ferengi in an effort to track down the son he never knew he had.

• Gene Roddenberry
• René Echevarria
• Patrick Stewart
• Jonathan Frakes
• LeVar Burton
• 13 User reviews
• 8 Critic reviews

• Captain Jean-Luc Picard

• Commander William Thomas 'Will' Riker

• Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge

• Lieutenant Worf

• Doctor Beverly Crusher

• Counselor Deanna Troi

• Lieutenant Commander Data

• (as Peter Slutsker)

• Enterprise Computer

• Starfleet Ensign
• (uncredited)
• Crewman Garvey
• Crewman Martinez
• Ensign Kellogg

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Did you know

• Trivia The only time the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition - the running gag from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) - are mentioned in TNG.
• Goofs The Xendi Sabu system is misnamed as Xendi Cabu by Picard; all other characters get it right.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard : I like climbing. There's something about... actually having your fate in your own hands.

• Connections Edited from Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Hunted (1990)
• Soundtracks Star Trek: The Next Generation Main Title Composed by Jerry Goldsmith and Alexander Courage

User reviews 13

• Mar 13, 2022
• April 30, 1994 (United States)
• United States
• Official site
• Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA (Studio)
• Paramount Television
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 46 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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